Fund a cable or grapple skidder for whole-tree extraction and difficult ground, on new, used or imported machines.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Yes, though the panel is narrower than for forwarders because skidders are less common in British forestry, where cut-to-length working dominates. That matters to a funder only because resale here is thinner, so they lean harder on the borrower and on the work behind the machine. The machines themselves are solid hard assets with serial numbers and international demand, and most skidders in the UK are bought used, often imported. Used purchases are entirely normal in this market. The recurring complication is title on imported machines: the ownership chain has to be evidenced before any funder will release money.
Used kit: Yes — most skidders funded in the UK are used, and age is accepted where hours, tyres and drivetrain condition are documented.
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Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
Skidders go to specialist plant funders rather than a general panel, because a generalist underwriter may not have a comparable value to work from. Make, hours, winch or grapple condition and tyre state all feed the valuation, and a machine with a documented history will be valued more generously than one without. Because resale within the UK is slower than for mainstream forestry plant, funders look for contracted volume and relevant operating experience, and a strong personal covenant. Imports are frequent and need care: the seller invoice, proof of ownership, VAT treatment and the physical location of the machine all get checked before drawdown. Windblow work is unpredictable by nature, so a case built entirely on storm clearance will be questioned. Declines tend to follow thin trading history and unverifiable overseas sellers.
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ecotrac 120V | Compact cable skidder for small blocks |
| Welte W130 | Cable skidder for steep ground |
| Welte W230 | Larger skidder for heavy extraction |
| HSM 805 | Forestry skidder with winch and blade |
| HSM 904 | High-power skidder for clear fell |
| John Deere 648L-II | Grapple skidder for production forestry |
| John Deere 748L-II | Large grapple skidder for long hauls |
| Tigercat 610E | Six-wheel grapple skidder |
| Tigercat 620E | High-capacity grapple skidder |
| Caterpillar 555D | Grapple skidder for heavy timber |
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Contractors working steep or rocky ground where a forwarder cannot operate, firms clearing windblow after a storm, and operations extracting whole trees for biomass or for roadside processing. The trigger is frequently storm damage on a scale that has to be cleared fast. Some hardwood and estate contractors run skidders because the timber is long and irregular rather than neatly cut to length.
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We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in arb and forestry.
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Because British forestry mostly works cut-to-length, so there are fewer skidders in the country and fewer buyers if a machine has to be sold. That thinner resale market makes generalist funders cautious, and the case moves to specialist plant lenders who understand the values and the export options behind them.
Yes, with the right preparation. The funder needs a seller invoice, proof the seller owns the machine, clarity on VAT and import duty, and confirmation of where the machine is when payment is made. Many will only pay once it has landed in the UK, which affects how the purchase is structured.
On its own, it is a difficult argument. Windblow is unpredictable, and funders will not underwrite a machine on the expectation of bad weather. Where storm work sits alongside regular thinning or extraction contracts, it strengthens the case. Presented as the sole income, it reads as speculative.
Hours, engine and transmission condition, tyres, the winch or grapple, and evidence of arch and boom repairs. Skidders work hard in abrasive conditions so wear is expected, but unrecorded structural repair is a concern. A documented service history has a real effect on the valuation and therefore on the advance.
It carries genuine weight on specialist machines. Funders are more comfortable when the applicant has operated in the sector, because the machine only earns in competent hands. Years of employed forestry work before going out on your own is worth stating clearly on the application; it is not something underwriters infer.
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See everything we fund in arb and forestry finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.